zoneoptics
Rockingham County Unincorporated, Virginia · District

R-3

Residential District
ResidentialMixedAll Rockingham County Unincorporated districts0

Dimensional standards

R-3 lot requirementsSTREETbuildable areaFront 20 ftRear 20 ftSide 8 ftMin width 60 ftMIN LOT AREA7,500 sq ftMAX HEIGHT40 ftMAX DENSITY8 du/acMIN OPEN SPACE10%
Plan view of the district’s stated lot requirements. Solid line: the property line. Dashed: the setback lines the ordinance imposes; a building must stay inside the tinted envelope. Drawn from the figures extracted below — illustrative, not a survey.

Lot

Minimum lot areaMinimum lot areaThe smallest parcel on which the district allows anything to be built.
7,500 sq ftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
Minimum lot widthLot widthHow wide a lot must be, usually measured at the front setback line.
60 ft

Density

Maximum density
8 du/acredu/acreDwelling units per acre — the number of homes allowed on each acre of land.
Lot area per dwelling unitLot area per dwelling unitLand required for each home — the same limit as du/acre, expressed per unit instead of per acre.
3,000 sq ftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.

SetbacksSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line.

FrontSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line.
20 ft
RearSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line.
20 ft
SideSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line.
8 ft

Height & bulk

Maximum heightMaximum heightThe tallest a building may be, given in feet, in storeys, or both — whichever binds first.
40 ft
Minimum open spaceOpen spaceLand a development must leave unbuilt, sometimes required to be usable or planted.
10%

Housing

Single-familySingle-family dwellingOne dwelling unit on its own lot, usually detached from its neighbours.
by_right
Two-family
by_right
Three-family
by_right
Four-plus family
by_right

Servicing

Geographic extent
Located in urban growth areas as designated in the comprehensive planComprehensive planThe long-range policy document zoning is meant to implement; it is not itself binding law.

Uses

Permitted by right55

Accessory8

From the ordinance

The minimum lot size for single-family detached dwellings shall be seven thousand five hundred (7,500) square feet. The minimum lot size for single-family attached dwellings shall be three thousand (3,000) square feet per dwelling unit. The minimum lot width shall be sixty (60) feet for single-family detached dwellings and thirty (30) feet for single-family attached dwellings. The minimum front yard setback shall be twenty (20) feet. The minimum side yard setback shall be eight (8) feet for single-family detached dwellings and zero (0) feet for single-family attached dwellings. The minimum rear yard setback shall be twenty (20) feet. The maximum building height shall be forty (40) feet.
Sec. 17-404.02